Transportation

Paved two-way bike trail with yellow center line, green paint, and Chicago buildings inbackground

Chicago Advances Smart Streets, Complete Streets Ordinances

Two proposed laws would enhance road safety for bicyclists and pedestrians and improve the city’s multimodal infrastructure.

March 8, 2023 - Block Club Chicago

Aerial view of gazebo and surrounding lawn and buildings in Decatur Square, Decatur, Georgia

Decatur Reveals Proposed Downtown Master Plan Updates

The city wants to boost economic development in its historic core, improve transit and connectivity, and encourage more housing near its MARTA rail station.

March 8, 2023 - Decaturish

View down a Los Angeles street with cars and tall palm trees on both sides

Study: L.A.’s Wealthier Residents ‘Export’ Air Pollution to Poorer Neighborhoods

Residents of Los Angeles who drive less are exposed to higher rates of air pollution due to policies that have encouraged commuting through low-income neighborhoods.

March 7, 2023 - USC Sol Price School of Public Policy

Children biking to school

Oregon Could Let Schools Fund ‘Bike Buses,’ Transit

A proposed bill would pave the way for school districts to use their transportation budgets to support chaperones for biking or walking, public transit passes, or other modes.

March 7, 2023 - Oregon Live

Cadillac Escalade SUV driving toward camera on black asphalt road surrounded by forest

SUVs Are Taking a Toll on the Environment

Even with the growth of electric vehicles, experts say the trend toward larger, heavier vehicles is inherently incompatible with environmental goals.

March 7, 2023 - The New Yorker

Elevated freeway under construction

How To Effectively Fight for Freeway Removal

Lessons from community activists around the country provide insight into how ‘freeway fighters’ can leverage recent momentum against road expansions to have more impact in 2023.

March 7, 2023 - Streetsblog USA

North Carolina

North Carolina Drafts Clean Transportation Plan

Similar to other plans focused on reducing emissions from the transportation plan, North Carolina’s draft Clean Transportation Plan will rely on electric vehicles to reduce emissions from the state’s transportation sector.

March 7, 2023 - Government Technology

Rainy night in the big city, people standing at the bus stop waiting for the bus. View from the level of asphalt, in blue tones

‘Request Stops’ Make Bus Travel Safer and More Convenient, but Most Riders and Drivers are Unaware of Them

Many U.S. transit agencies have policies allowing riders to request dropoffs between stops, but fail to publicize them to passengers and operators.

March 6, 2023 - Next City

Young man wearing headphones and holding a coffee cup standing on a city bus

The Future of Public Transit: The Bus

The solution to making public transit better doesn’t lie in technological innovations or hyper-modern trains, but in investing in one of its simplest tools.

March 6, 2023 - The Conversation

Close-up of black traffic light with green bike symbol lit up and blurry urban scene in background

New Mexico Could Require Protected Bike Lanes With Road Projects

A proposed bill would require larger towns to add protected bike lanes to any new road improvements and direct state funding to applicable projects.

March 6, 2023 - Smart Cities Dive

Road Construction

Road Projects Spike, Transit Slows in 2022

The federal dollars that are making their way to infrastructure projects around the country are largely supporting highway and bridge projects as transit agencies struggling to finance day-to-day operations delay capital investments.

March 6, 2023 - Smart Cities Dive

Close-up of Interstate 49 sign on road map

Louisiana Freeway Project Faces Civil Rights Investigation

An interstate project decades in the making is being investigated by federal authorities for claims that it would perpetuate historically racist land use patterns.

March 5, 2023 - The Current

Dark blue Tesla with crumpled front bumper on rainy highway with red fire truck in background

Majority of American Drivers ‘Afraid’ of ‘Self-Driving’ Cars

Responses to a AAA survey indicate a rising fear of automated vehicles in the wake of high-profile crashes and federal investigations.

March 3, 2023 - AAA

A New York MTA drives down the straight under elevated train tracks in the Bronx in New York City

Changes to Local Service in the Bronx Benefit Bus Speeds, Ridership

Another example of how improving bus service design can benefit transit riders and transit systems emerges in New York City. More such local system redesigns are on the way soon in the Big Apple.

March 3, 2023 - StreetsBlog NYC

A map of transit-rich areas and urban centers in the Vancouver, British Columbia region.

Vancouver Approves New Metro 2050 Regional Plan

The region around Vancouver in British Columbia has a new 30-year regional plan.

March 2, 2023 - Daily Hive

A speedometer showing Generation Z, Millennials, Generation X, and Baby Boomers

Generation Z Is Driving Less, But History Indicates It Won’t Last

Think Generation Z will usher in the long-awaited post-car future of transit advocates’ dreams? Think again (about the example set by the Millennials).

March 2, 2023 - Bloomberg CityLab

Crosswalk with pedestrians in front of four-story red brick buildings in New Haven, Connecticut

There is Nothing Illiberal About Walkability

Despite recent claims to the contrary, the concept of the 15-minute city promotes freedom of mobility and universal access to a city’s resources and amenities.

March 2, 2023 - The Washington Post

Rendering of land bridge over freeway in St. Paul, Minnesota

St. Paul Land Bridge Study Wins Federal Grant

A proposed land bridge that would reconnect the Rondo neighborhood is one of the dozens of projects to be awarded a Reconnecting Communities grant this week.

March 2, 2023 - MinnPost

Vacant vintage Streamline Moderne blue and white Greyhound station in Jackson, Tennessee

Intercity Buses Face Station Closures and Labor Shortage

The closure of many former Greyhound bus terminals is making intercity bus travel more inconvenient for the riders who depend on it.

March 2, 2023 - Smart Cities Dive

Rainbow painted crosswalk next to green painted bike lane on Seattle, Washington street

Seattle Vision Zero Review Largely Misses the Point

The city released what it called a comprehensive review of its Vision Zero initiatives, but one critic argues the report doesn’t address some key opportunities for improving road safety.

March 1, 2023 - The Urbanist

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Senior Manager Operations, Urban Planning

New York City School Construction Authority

Building Inspector

Village of Glen Ellyn

Manager of Model Development

Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO

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100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

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A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.